Paper box



I March 18, 1947. LENGSHELD 2,417,653

PAPER 150::

Filed Aug. 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 CC W- March 18, 1947. B. H. LENGSFiELD 7,

PAPER BOX Filed Aug. 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 awe/who's Patented Mar. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAPER BOX Byron Hassber'gliengsfield, New Orleans, La., as-

signor to Lengsfield Brothers, Incorporated, New Orleans, -La., a corporation of Louisiana I Application August 24, 1943, Serial No. 499,840

1 Claim. 1

This invention relatesto paper boxesof the type to be folded up froma blank and to be shipped flat in partially assembled form, and set up as needed.

Boxes or the general nature to which this invention appertains have been in use for many years but their assembly has necessitated the use of metal stitching or stapling.

The object of the present invention is to provide a box of this character which may be assembled without the useof metal fasteningmeans and is held in assembled form solely by interlocking portions provided on the blank from which the box is set up.

Another object of the invention is to provide locking means to holdthe boxinpartially assembled form so that it may be shipped inva flat state for convenience, and further locking means to hold the box in completed form when set up.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a box in which the locking means are located within the box so that the box presents a smooth exterior surface andthe locking means are protected from accidental damage.

It is also an object of the invention to mark certain of the fold lines on the blank which are not to be understrain when the box is set up by a series of perforations rather than by score lines, to facilitate erection of the box, produce flat folds, and to'ensure more'accurate formation of the box.

An added object is to provide a box of the character specified which may he produced from a blank which requires no more stock than the conventional style stitched box.

Other objects will appear from the following description taken with the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification and in which like reference characters refer to identical parts throughout.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembled paper box embodying the features of the present invention; r V

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section through the box looking toward one of the end panels and its associated interlocking means;

Figure 3 is a secti-o-nalview taken at right angles to Figure 2 and substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the box is formed; and

2 Figure 6 is a perspective view of the partially folded blank in flat form ready for shipping.

Referring to the drawings in detail and first adverting to the blank as shown in Figure 5, the blank I is cut from paper board stock and is scored along vertical lines 2 and 3, and horizontal lines 4 and 5; to form a rectangular bottom'fi, and rectangular side and end panels "I mat, and 9 and I0, respectively.

, Extending from and connecting the side and end panels are the corner pleat-forming sections ll, I2, l3, and It. Each of the pleat-forming sections is divided by a line of fold I5 extending diagonally from a corner of the bottom, forming two connected wings I6 and H, the wing It extending from the side panel, and the wing ilextending from the end panel. The general rectangular shape of the blank is broken at the corners as the wing section I6 is beveled sharply inward, as at I8, from its outer edge to the diagonal fold line It. Wing sections I1 are provided with outwardly extending tongues I9 to form locking tabs to hold the box together in a manner to be hereinafter described. The locking tabs extend outwardly from the point of juncture of the beveled edge I8 of thewing l6 and. the diagonal fold I5, and are angularly ofiset away from the wings I6. The outer edge of wing I1 is cut away as at 20 to form a recess adjacent to locking tabs I9.

Each end panel is extended to form a flap 2| preferably coextensive in length with the end panel and separated therefrom by a score line. Each flap is provided with angularly disposed slits 22 to receive in locking engagement the locking tabs I9 when the box is assembled.

Horizontal score lines 4 and 5 extend as score lines the width of the bottom panel 6, but from the edges of the bottom panel outward to the edge of the blank they are preferably formed as a series of perforations extending completely through the blank, as indicated at 23. Diagonal fold lines 15 are likewise formed of perforations to facilitate their folding.

By perforating the blank, fold lines are obtained which will crease to form an absolutely flat fold so that there will be no possibility of bulging or thickening at the fold, and the fold will be accurately made precisely along the perforated line. This not only assures accurate corners but greatly facilitates the folding processes the lines are weakened and fold much more readily than do score lines.

After the blank has been cut to shape and scored as described, it is partially assembled before shipment. The side panels 1 and 8 and their respective attached corner pleat-forming sections are folded inwardly upon the bottom and end panels along the score lines 4 and 5 and their extensions 23. The fiaps 2| are then folded over upon the wings I! so that the full-length portion of the wings adjacent the line 23 lies under the flaps between the flap and the end panel. The recesses 20 in the wings H are at least as deep as the flaps 2| so that the locking tabs may be lifted to overlie the flaps 2|, the flaps seating in the recesses. Each of the locking tabs is provided with a hook 24 at its outer end to pass through and lookingly engage the slits 22 in the flaps. This arrangement completely looks the ends together as the wing I1 is caught by the overlying flap 2|, and the flap 2| is held down by the locking tabs, the whole assembly-being locked by the engagement of the hooks and slits.

It is, of course, obvious that more than one locking tab may be provided on each wing ll,

- and a corresponding number of slits cut in flaps 2|, but one has been found to provide an adequate lock and to be sufliciently strong for normal usage.

When the blank has been folded as just described, it appears as shown in Figure 6 and is ready for shipment. The blanks are flat and may be readily piled, and a great number of them may be put into a single package.

When it is desiredto use the box, it must be set up in its final form. To do this, the side panels I and 8 are lifted from their position against the bottom 6 to an upright position at right-angles to the bottom. As the sides are raised, the end panels 9 and H1 will also lift, bending along the score lines 2 and 3. The wings i? are tightly locked in position against the end panels and as the side panels 1 and 8 are raised they lift the wings l6, causing the blank to fold inwardly along the perforated lines l5 and to fold along the outer extremities of score lines 2 and 3 beyond score lines 4 and 5. This places wings l6 and I! in face to face contact, and forms an infolded pleat at each corner of the box. To hold the box in its set up position, the outer corners of the flaps 2| are lifted and the upper edges of the wings I6 tucked under the flap. The box is then ready for use.

It will be noted that when the box is assembled, the perforated fold lines are positioned so that none of the strain is imposed upon these .4 lines but that all of the corner folds which take the strain are defined by the usual scored lines.

It is of primary importance that the present box requires no more stock in the formation of the blank than does the well known metal stitched box, as both are formed from a substantially rectangular blank and neither extend beyond the confines of the projected rectangular sides. Thus the present invention uses a like amount of stock and at the same time, dispenses with the metal stitching and the use of stitching or stapling machines.

While I have in the above described what is believed to be a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that changes may be made from the precise structure shown without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the following claim.

What I claim is:

A paper box comprising, a bottom and upstanding sid and end panels, infolded corner pleats substantially the height of said end panels to lie against said and panels comprising two wing sections joined by a diagonal line of fold, one of said wing sections being notched to the fold line said fold line terminating substantially below the top of said end panel, a locking tab extending from the other said wing section at a distance below the upper edge of said wing section and curving upwardly to a locking portion forming a recess in said wing sections, flaps having slits therein extending from and folded against said end panels to overlie and retain the upper portions of said wing sections against said end panel said flaps being of less depth than said recess, said upturned locking portions of said locking tabs adapted to overlie said downturned flaps and engage said slits.

BYRON HASSBERG LENGSFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

